rpm.espn.com: Christian Fittipaldi

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Monday, January 7

Christian Fittipaldi
By Robin Miller
ESPN.com

Team: Newman-Haas Racing
Nationality: Brazilian

Christian Fittipaldi
Fittipaldi

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Best finish

2001 15th 0 4 8 0 Third, Portland

Career 2 27 60 1 1st, twice

2001 recap
The good: A third at Portland, a fourth at Japan and a pair of fifths at Nazareth and Detroit were Fittipaldi's finest efforts in 2001.

Season highlight: The 30-year-old Brazilian always shines when the sun doesn't and his third place at Portland in the rain once again showed his prowess in poor weather.

The bad: Never showed any consistency in what was his seventh season in champ cars and could do no better than eighth in the last 13 races.

Season lowlight: Took himself out while battling ex-teammate Michael Andretti for the lead at Elkhart Lake.

Key stat: Only qualified in the first three rows once -- in the season finale at California Speedway where he started fifth.

2002 outlook
What needs to be done: Somehow, some way there needs to be a new motivation for a group that's been together six years and only scored two victories.

Prediction: A lot of people thought Fittipaldi would be out after 2001 but Paul Newman and Carl Haas have secured a new title sponsor (Eli Lilly's) for 2002 and they like Emerson's nephew. But the pressure is on for good results and that means some wins.

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